Avoid Burning to a Crisp

You know those plates with the compartments?

There’s a space for your potatoes, your hamburger and your salad, with little walls in between so your dressing doesn’t leak all over the place and make your bun foul and unclean. (I.e. soggy.)

I love those plates. My food doesn’t like to touch. And yes, I know it all mixes together in my stomach. But, my friends, my taste buds are in my MOUTH.

Boundaries are Good

This need for boundaries also extends to my everyday life. I need a balance of time for myself, for work, for friends, family and my husband, and time for millions of strangers (i.e. the internet).

Work time ends promptly at 4:30, except on Wednesdays when it extends to 5:00 to make up for an extra 30 minutes at lunch. This is the first job where I’ve ever held to a schedule, and forced myself to eat somewhere besides at my desk. I’ve always worked 9, 10, 11 hour days, plus coming home and checking my email. If it’s every once in awhile, you suck it up and pitch in. If it’s every day, you’re a dope and need to be shaken soundly.

This Took a Long Time to Learn.

I was given a sound mental shake at my last job, which was a lot like the time my high school Bio class repeatedly carried buckets of water into the woods behind the school in order to put out root fires. I’ve since learned to say to myself, “Class, the forest is burning. Get out or you will be immolated.”

It took an extreme situation for me to make this life change. Some people keep plugging away, members of the bucket brigade for life.

Sometimes, it’s all you can do to keep trying, and I commend that. But, sometimes, you won’t ever see a solution because you’re worn out and just don’t have the energy.

This is When You Should Step In

If you see someone like that, help them. Make sure it’s a real crisis situation, not a personal problem - I’ve gone on crusades before, then found out that I only had half the story. But if there’s a valid beef, help out where you can. You can escalate the problem so the right person is aware of it. You can stand on a chair and scream for help if you need to. Sometimes you just need to be there to listen.

Do what you can, but do it smart. Don’t just pick up a bucket and start hauling in tandem. Assess the situation, and if you’ve got a full-on blazing inferno, don’t try to fix it with small solutions. Gear up for a big change, and call the freaking fire department.